Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-01
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER l, 1887
An Iron Despotism.

lis ihtt HUufCSb tldt luClO haV DONH
fraudulent counts in several OF the
counties of this Commonwealth several
years ago. and his allusion to the Nc
CoRMIcK law arc in keeping with the
utterances Of his allies in the North,
who hope to pat down by the aid
of Congress the Democratic party of
the South. The platforms adopted in
the northern Republican State con-
yeniions are responsive to MAHoNEs
charges, or else his charges are re-
sponsive to those platforms. The free
institutions OF this country are to be
sacrificed upon the altar Of the unholy
ambition of such men as MALONE OF
Virginia aud SHERMAN OF Ohio. The
power of the Federal Government is to
be invoked to nullify the elections held
in the several States of the South, and
to provide for elections Of congress
men, both Senators and Representa-
tiyes, who belong to the Republican
party.
General H. V. BoYNToN, of Ohio,
who stands high in the estimation of
the wavers of the bloody shirt, writes
from Washington a long letter on the
subject of "a free ballot and fair
count, not in his own State of Ohio,
but in all the southern States. His
letter appears in the leading SHERMAN
organ, and SHERMAN, we all know, is
MAHoNRs fayorite for President OF the
United States. BoYNToN admits that
all this talk looks to the control Of
southern elections by Congress.
"There was nothing" he says, "more
than that in the Springfield speech of
Senator SHERMAN. There was nothing
more radical in the vigorous paper to
wmth Governor FORAKER treated the
country in The Forum magazine.
SHERMAN and FORAKER, it is thus con-
fessed-or perhaps We should say boast
ed-are playing the same little game that
MAHoNE is playing in Virginia, and the
avowed object of the conspirators is to
convert the United States Government
into a consolidated central despotism.
For, says BoYNToN, "it is the essence
OF the Republican position, not only
upon southern affairs. but in respect to
all elections, whether national or State,
and it ought to be proclaimed as the
central and overshadowing issue OF the
coming national campaign. 1t should
be So" he adds, "because it is pro-
blem the settlement of which logically
grows ont of the war, and the determi-
nation of which is logically demanded
from those who prosecuted the wal"
Who prosecuted the war? The
armies OF the northern States. 1t is
evident, therefore, that the new method
of securing a majority in Congress is
10 be a northern or sectional method.
Let us hear more of this scheme.
BoYSToN says:
"The Constitution gives all needed
power to effectually enforce the Repub-
iican demand for fair national cleo
lions. The clause, Each house shall
be the Judge of the elections. returns,
and qualifications of its own members,
in the opinion of some of our ablest
constitutional lawyers, affords all the
power which can he necessary to CON-
pel honest elections for national repre-
sentation, not only in the South, but
throughout the land.
"The House of Representatives has
been accustomed to exert this power to
every extent necessary to the condition
which now obtains at the South. With
Republican majority it could now say
TO the citizens OF every congressional
district that no representative would be
received from that district If fraud or
intimidation OF any kind were tolerated
there. Republicans, therefore, II they
had a working majority in the House,
could. even under q Democratic Ad-
ministration, compel reasonably-fair
elections in all congressional districts.
"As TO the Senate, while the power
of going behind the election of a sena-
tor by a Legislature, and inquiring
whether the members of the Legislative
body itself were honestly elected, has
not been exercised, there are many
able lawyers who maintain that this
right and the power to exercise 1t are
unquestioned.
Reconstruction laws may have been
a failure, but with Reuublicans IN the
majority in Congress this constitutional
nower TO Judge OF returns and TO ex
clnde for fraud cannot be successfully
Questioned or overthrown. The Su
1reme Court may still further interfere
r;th war legislation, as it did TO destro,
tbe civil rights bill, but into this iurls
diction il cannot come. Here Is tn
plein and sufficient power TO accomplish
al that Republican platforms are no'
insisting upon with respect to homes
elections.
There is the ACCOMPLISHMENTS pro
prainme in full. viii the souther
States stand idly 10y and see themselve
robbed OF every yestige OF State rights
stripped of Statehood, and reduced 7
mere satrapies2 Will the northern State
thus bite of their own noses TO spit
their faces? "Ibe Union cannot el
list partly free and partly slave" wa
WILLIAM Ii. SRwARD's dictum. Wha
ever shackles bind Virginia win bin
Massachusetts,.
4 What say the people of Virginia
Will they elect a Legislature this IA
that VIII send MALONE back to til
Senate 10 aid SHERMAN in putin
letters upon the hands OF this State
Will they not rather work day an
night to prevent this honored old Con
monwealth from being madea Republ
can State by the usarpations Of sue
men as Jous SHERMAN? These col
suirafors admit that the reconsirnctio